Nine apply for appointment on the newly-created Valencia County Arroyo Flood Control District

Nine Valencia County residents are interested in being appointed to the newest political subdivision in the county.

With the formation of the Valencia County Arroyo Flood Control District during the November 2024 General Election, the new nonpartisan district needs a governing body.

A call for applicants was put out by 13th Judicial District Court Judge Cindy Mercer and, now with a pool of nine, the judge will appoint five unpaid members to a new board of directors for the district to serve until the November 2025 local election.

Those interested in serving on the board are Wayne Gallegos, David Gardner, Danny Goodson, Michael Montoya, David Neff, Sabrina Rael, Arturo Sais, Teresa Smith de Cherif and Philip Sublett.

Valencia County attorney Adren Nance said there isn’t a fixed deadline for the board selection.

Gallegos, a Belen resident, is a former Belen city councilor, as well as a long-time firefighter and retired fire chief for the city. He has experience as a certified flood plain manager, according to his letter of interest, and has assisted engineering firms in crafting a storm drainage master plan for Belen. He also served as the Valencia County emergency manager from 1992 to 2004.

Gardner, of Los Lunas, has a PhD in mechanical engineering, a master’s degree in applied mathematics and a bachelor of science degree in materials science.

His PhD research was in complex flows of liquids and gases. In his letter of interest, Gardner highlights that during his career at Sandia National Laboratories, he explored advanced computing, explosives and lasers. He currently serves on the Los Lunas Schools audit committee.

In his letter, Goodson, of Belen, writes he has a career in conservation of natural resources that provides him with a working knowledge of the processes necessary to prevent or solve flooding. A U.S. Navy veteran, Goodson is the maintenance technician at the Belen Regional Airport.

Prior to that, from 1976 to 2017, he was an agronomist and soil conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Goodson has a bachelor of science in agriculture.

Montoya, a Los Lunas resident, is a certified flood plain manager and in storm water protection, has an associate degree in criminal justice, is an EMT and a licensed realtor, according to his resume. He has worked for the state, Bernalillo County, the village of Bosque Farms, village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and village of Los Lunas.

Montoya has also served on the Valencia County and Los Lunas planning and zoning commissions, and currently works in code enforcement for Los Lunas.

Neff, of Los Lunas, describes himself as “a boots on the ground, in the field, kind of observer,” in his letter of interest. He expresses the desire to pool information and share experience in order to give the board focus as quickly as possible.

A U.S. Army veteran, Neff has experience in construction and demolition of residential and commercial buildings following the 1994 earthquake in Northridge, Ca. He also observed first-hand the use of “tank walls” and “tiger teeth” in Korea to slow down and direct monsoonal rain fall to rice fields in the demilitarized zone, as well as the use of native plants and food crops to hold soil in place.

Rael, of Los Lunas, has an associate degree in criminal justice, a bachelor of arts degree in criminology/psychology and a master’s degree in leadership. An administrative law judge/disciplinary hearing officer for the New Mexico Corrections Department since 2023, Rael writes in her letter of interest that her “objective, unbiased and impartial view would be beneficial to the residents ...”

Rael has also worked as a classification officer and inmate records coordinator for DOC, as well as a records clerk and detention officer for the Valencia County Detention Center.

Sais, a Rio Communities resident, served on both the Rio Communities City Council and planning and zoning commission, and is the former town clerk for Peralta. Sais held the at-large position on the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District board of directors from 1978 to 1982, was the Bernalillo County deputy treasurer from 2001 to 2005 and served as the state director of the New Mexico Fire Academy from 2006 to 2008.

He has a bachelor’s degree in Chicano studies and a master’s degree in social work.

Smith de Cherif, of Bosque Farms, has served on the board of supervisors for the Valencia Soil and Water Conservancy District for 17 years. While earning her doctoral degree in medicine, Smith de Cherif studied advanced science courses, statistics and mathematics. She also holds a master of international affairs, certificate of the Institute of African studies from Columbia University and degrees in philosophy and Arab studies.

Sublett, of Belen, is a U.S. Army veteran who served both state side and abroad. After 11 years of service, he worked for Henderson Fire Protection in El Paso, Texas, where he attained his Class A firefighter license.

He returned to Belen to take over the operation of a family-owned business 30 years ago. Sublett served as a volunteer firefighter and EMT for Rio Communities Fire Department, and has been on the Valencia County Planning and Zoning commission for the last four years.